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Europe

Uganda eyes 120,000 bpd pipeline to export crude

The country is also planning to build a 30,000 bpd refinery to produce refined fuel products for the local market, allowing the pipeline to transport additional crude to export markets through neighboring Kenya, according to Kalisa Kabagambe, the ministry's permanent secretary.

Rosneft, Mitsui plan Russia Far East olefins project

The processing capacity of the Far East petrochemical complex is planned at 3.4 million tpy of hydrocarbon feedstock, predominantly naphtha. The capacity of ethylene and propylene production unit is planned at 2 million tpy. Rosneft and Mitsui expect the complex to start up in 2017.

Neste Oil to upgrade heaters at Porvoo refinery

As part of the investment, fired heaters at the refinery's crude distillation unit will be replaced with new-generation heaters, which Neste says will help ensure more consistent, incident-free operations at the site and yield annual energy savings worth an estimated €4 million.

Gazprom in talks with Petrovietnam for long-term LNG supply contract

Gazprom, the world's largest extractor of natural gas, plans to lift sales to Asia to help offset a drop in demand and regulatory troubles in its most lucrative market, Europe. It is planning to build a gas liquefaction plant in Vladivostok on Russia's Pacific coast. Potential financial terms weren't disclosed.

UK lawmakers to investigate decline in refining

The Energy and Climate Change Committee, appointed by parliament to examine government expenditure, administration and policy, said it was seeking evidence on what must be done to maintain a suitable baseline level of capacity. The UK had 18 oil refineries in the late 1970s, but has just 7 in 2013.

Executives predict shale boom in Russia and China, but Europe lags behind

Torbjorn Tornqvist, chief executive of trading house Gunvor, said Wednesday it was clear that shale production on a scale similar to that in the US is possible in several of the world's biggest current energy producers and consumers -- but that Europe is unlikely to be transformed by it.

IEA warns of no progress on clean energy goals

The IEA estimates that a cut in the carbon emissions per unit of energy of more than 60% is needed to prevent global average temperatures rising by more than two degrees Celsius in the long term, and maintaining current levels would yield a temperature increase of six degrees Celsius.

BASF awards process engineering pact to Jacobs for Antwerp chemicals site

Under terms of the contract, Jacobs is providing process, piping and electrical/ instrumentation engineering services to the Antwerp chemicals site. Officials said the contract duration is three years.

Fluor wins FEED work from BP, Shell for clean fuels project in South Africa

The project will enable a substantial upgrade of the SAPREF refinery, thereby improving the quality of transportation fuels by reducing levels of sulfur, benzene and aromatics and meeting enhanced legislative requirements. The deal allows for a possible EPCm contract to be signed at a later date.

French court rejects bids for Petroplus refinery

The court considered Libya's Murzuk Oil and Dubai-based NetOil as potential bidders after months of selection, but they didn't offer enough financial strength for a project that requires heavy investment. The court-appointed receiver will now seek a buyer for the plant's assets and dismantle it if none is found.